I don’t always share my travel adventures here, but I’m excited to start sharing a little more of this side of me too. The places I love, the meals I remember, the little details I bring home with me. And if you happen to be planning a trip to Marseille, Cannes, or Provence, hopefully this gives you a useful head start. I did a lot of exploring beyond the usual TikTok lists and found some genuinely special places that felt worth the time, the money, and the detour.

So here are a few favorites from each stop, along with the little moments, meals, and places I’d happily do all over again.

Marseille

The city itself
Marseille felt lived-in in a way I loved. It did not feel polished for tourists. It felt like a real city where families were out, locals were moving through their day, people were meeting friends, shopping, working, eating. It is grungy, artsy, and covered in graffiti in the best possible way. Honestly, it is a sneakers-and-vibes city. Anything more and you might feel overdressed. And the people were SO kind. Actually, that was true everywhere we went in France. Warm, amicable, welcoming, and incredibly gracious.

Maison Empereur
Of course I had to go. Maison Empereur is one of those places that feels like stepping into another era. It was founded in 1827 and is considered the oldest hardware store in France, still family-run nearly 200 years later.It is basically kitchenware heaven hidden inside a maze. Room after room, wall after wall, filled with cookware, linens, brushes, knives, beautiful little household objects, and things you absolutely did not know you needed until you saw them. I could have stayed forever.

Livingston Marseille
One of my favorite meals in Marseille. Livingston is built around a collaborative, creative restaurant concept, with a set menu served in several courses with a strong focus on seasonal cooking and bold flavor. The current menu leans into a mix of Scandinavian technique and Southeast Asian influence, which made the whole meal feel inventive and unique. The food was phenomenal and the vibe was tangible. You sit in an alleyway surrounded by other restaurants and bars. It’s loud, lively, and you can feel the essence of the culture here. (Livingston website)

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Seeing Marseille from the water
This was one of those moments that reminded me why I love traveling without overplanning every second. We explored the coast by water and ended up in a small cove where we had some of the best mussels of the entire trip. We also got to see the many hidden coves that people hike to get to the water. At the end our captain took us to the beach where only locals go. We tried diving off a few rocks and swimming in the caves. We came out with a few scars on our toes, but I’d say it was worth it. :)

Cannes

Cannes was the highlight of the trip for me. It was beautiful, busy, glamorous, and somehow still incredibly easy to enjoy once we stopped trying to do the most “Cannes” things.

Saddle vs. Good Mate
This was the perfect reminder that popular does not always mean best. We tried Saddle because, of course, it is all over Instagram and TikTok. Cute? Yes. Worth the hype? Not really.

Then we found Good Mate, had barely any wait, and had THE best coffee. That became one of my favorite little discoveries of the trip. Sometimes the place with the smaller line and less social-media buzz is just better.

The beach day that was actually worth the money
This might have been my favorite day in Cannes.

We got front-row ocean chairs with champagne, fruit, towels, and chairs included and then spent hours swimming in the Mediterranean. It felt luxurious, but more importantly, we actually used and enjoyed everything we were paying for.

That mattered to me because Cannes charges the extreme for the full beach-club experience. Even little things like side tables can come with another charge. So instead of chasing the most photogenic beach setup, we chose the one that gave us the best experience. Front row. Champagne. Fruit. Hours in the water. No rush. That was luxury to me.

Provence

Provence was slower, softer, and where my actual birthday celebration happened.

Birthday dinner at Villa Gallici
My boyfriend took me to Villa Gallici for the most romantic birthday dinner, and it was easily the best meal I have had all year.

Villa Gallici is an 18th-century Provençal residence with this lush, extravagant mix of French and Italian influence. The restaurant terrace is designed almost like a Florentine patio, with plane trees overhead, white tablecloths, candlelight everywhere, and a quiet, intimate atmosphere that feels completely removed from the outside world. The food follows that same Provence-meets-Italy spirit, with seasonal ingredients and refined Mediterranean cooking. (Villa Gallici)

It was decadent, romantic, special, and exactly the kind of place that makes you sit there a little longer because you do not want the evening to end. It was hands down the best restaurant I’ve been to all year. I’d go back again and again.

Shopping my way through Provence

French butter. Herbs. Lavender. Little pantry things. Anything that felt like I could bring a piece of Provence home with me.

I bought lavender spray that I still spray around my home now, and every single time I do it, I swear I am transported right back there for a second. That may be my favorite kind of souvenir. Something small that quietly brings a place back into your everyday life.

The thing I loved most about this trip

It was not really about checking off the most famous places. Some of my favorite moments came from choosing quality over hype. And that is truly my vibe. I like good creamy french butter, and small coffee shops with happy baristas, and tiny bite sized decadent desserts, and diving off of rocks while trying not to scrape my toes, and meeting kind, interesting people along the way. This was my favorite trips this summer.

But, instead of flavored syrup and carbonated water, we’re making our own with fresh peach puree, natural fermentation, and even adding hibiscus because that tart flavor with the sweet peaches just adds the perfect complexity that elevates the drink.

Peaches are naturally sweet and bring vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants, and some fiber to the mix. Once we add the ginger bug, the microbes begin feeding on the sugars in the peach mixture and produce carbon dioxide, which is what gives the drink its natural fizz. The fermentation also creates organic acids and beneficial microbes that give homemade soda that distinctly tangy, lively flavor and gut health benefits you simply do not get from regular soda. Here’s How To Make It 🍑

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2-3 Peaches: I like to use a variety of white, yellow, and donut peaches

• 1/3 cup Active Ginger bug: Our fermentation starter. It provides the active yeasts and bacteria that create the carbonation. (Next week I’ll share how to make the drink without a starter!)

• 2 tablespoons Sugar: Gives the microbes additional fuel for fermentation. Much of it is used during the process rather than simply being added for sweetness. Because we are using peach puree you don’t have to add the sugar, BUT the additional sugar does create stronger fermentation and more carbonation.

• 1 cup Filtered water: Keeps everything light and refreshing while giving our ginger bug a chlorine-free environment to do its thing.

• 2 cups Cooled Hibiscus Liquid: You can cold brew your hibiscus to retain as much vitamin C as possible. Or you can quick brew the hibiscus with boiled water. If you use hot water, be sure to let the drink cool before adding to the ginger bug. ( I use 1/4 cup dried hibiscus leaves brewed with 2 cups water)

How To Make Your Soda

1. Make the peach puree. Blend 2 to 3 peaches with 2 tablespoons sugar until mostly smooth.

2. Bottle it. Add the peach puree, ginger bug, water, and cooled hibiscus liquid to a clean swing-top bottle or other pressure-safe bottle.

3. Leave headspace. Leave at least 2 inches of space at the top so the soda has room to build carbonation.

4. Ferment. Leave at room temperature for about l to 3 days, checking and burping daily, until bubbly. If your environment is very warm, be sure to burp the jar at least twice a day.

5. Chill before opening. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, then open slowly and carefully before serving.

I hope you enjoy the soda!

Next week, we’re switching things up. 👀 So many of you have asked if you can make naturally fermented soda without a ginger bug, and the answer is yes. I’m sharing exactly how to do it, what makes the fermentation work, and how the process differs from the ginger bug sodas we’ve been making. Stay tuned, because this one is going to be a fun experiment. ✨

This one is actually one of my own recipes, and it has a corresponding YouTube video from almost five years ago. I had so much fun watching it back because it was one of the first videos I ever posted on YouTube. It’s wild to see how much has changed since then.

You can find it here: Pan Seared Duck Breast Recipe

You probably recognize this one from a recent post. Consider it my little ode to summer, which, for the record, is not officially over until September 22nd despite everyone seemingly being in a rush to move on. 😂 This Cucumber Kiwi Spritzer is cold, crisp, lightly sweet, and such an easy refresher for hot days. Recipe here:

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My boyfriend loves all things pasta, so this one was definitely for him. I love this recipe because it tastes restaurant quality but only takes about 30 minutes to pull together. You can make it traditionally or dairy-free. I make mine dairy-free, then add freshly grated Parmesan on top if I’m in the mood. And no, you cannot taste the vodka. Only a few tablespoons are used to deglaze the pan so this is really just a spicy creamy tomato pasta.

Recipe here: Spicy Vodka Pasta

I made these over the weekend for a little fancy at-home date, and they were honestly much easier than I expected. Mussels always feel like something you order at a fancy restaurant, but once they’re cleaned and ready to go, the actual cooking is surprisingly quick. I used this recipe from Baker by Nature: White Wine Garlic Mussles

This one looks much more complicated than it actually is. I bought the beef already prepared from my butcher, so all I had to do was plate and dress it. I like mine really bright, so I use plenty of fresh lemon juice over the beef. It lifts the flavor beautifully and keeps it from tasting overly “raw.” My favorite part might actually be the salad on top that pairs perfectly with the beef. It’s a generous pile of arugula tossed with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. Very fancy-looking, very little work.

Ribeye Breakfast with Heirloom Tomato + Soft Scrambled Eggs

This is a regular for me because it feels a little fancy without actually being complicated. For a juicy ribeye, I like to let the steak come closer to room temperature before cooking, get the pan really hot so I can build a good crust, and let it rest before slicing so all those juices stay where they belong. For the eggs, I add a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream and cook them low and slow for that super creamy, French-style soft scramble. I feel like a steak tutorial is long overdue from me. I make the best steak regularly and maybe it is time I share my methods. Let me know if the comment if you’d like a steak tutorial. :)

This little number was a fun kitchen experiment. I stuffed the cabbage with a mixture of beef, pork, and buckwheat to bump up the protein while adding some extra fiber. They turned out so good, and because the recipe made quite a lot, they were perfect for meal prep too. Let me know in the comments if you want me to share the full recipe in a new post. 👀

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This Pineapple Coconut Soda is incredible. Bright, tropical, naturally sweet, wildly fizzy, and literally the best pineapple soda I’ve ever had. I shared it with my boyfriend and my best friend while she was visiting, and both of them said this was their favorite soda flavor I’ve made so far. And, I completely agree!

What surprised me most was the carbonation. I added no extra sugar to the soda itself, and the fizz was out of this world. After making so many different batches, one thing I’ve noticed is that fresh fruit tends to give me the strongest carbonation compared with tea-based sodas or fruit syrups, like the one I use for my Cherry Vanilla Cola.

Pineapple is especially fun because it already contains plenty of natural sugar for the ginger bug to work with. And because the pineapple flavor is so bold and naturally sweet, this is also one of the first sodas I’ve made where I genuinely cannot taste the ginger at all. You just get pineapple, coconut, and that crisp natural carbonation.

It tastes like a tropical soda you’d actually want to keep stocked in the fridge. And I love that it has probiotic benefits.

The recipe is below, and it’s also included in my Comprehensive Ginger Bug Guide, which is now available on Amazon. YAY. 🥹

I’m especially excited about having a physical version available because now you can keep a tangible homemade soda-making guide right in the kitchen. Inside, I share the full ginger bug process, troubleshooting tips, recipes, and checklists that help you understand what to look for at each stage so you can really perfect the process.

And if you make only one of my fermented sodas, I’m strongly suggesting this one.

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I like to think of fiber less as a strict number and more as a helpful tool for building better meals.

Fiber helps make meals more satisfying, supports healthy digestion, and encourages us to eat more of the foods we already know are good for us: fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and fermented plant foods.

Here’s the good news: hitting your fiber goals does not require a total overhaul of how you eat. It requires a handful of reliable foods you can keep adding into meals you’re already making. Small swaps, easy additions, nothing that needs a new grocery list every week.

This is the guide I wish I had when I first started paying attention to fiber. It’s a mix of the usual suspects and a few foods that don’t get talked about nearly enough, even though they pull way more weight per serving than people realize.

Save this one. It’s meant to be a resource you come back to when you’re staring into your fridge trying to figure out what to add to your plate.

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How Much Fiber Do We Actually Need?

A good general goal for adults is around 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day, depending on your body, age, appetite, and overall intake. Some guidelines recommend about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories, which comes out to around 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men.

But if you are currently eating much less than that, you do not need to jump there overnight.

In fact, it is usually better to increase fiber gradually, drink enough water, and spread fiber-rich foods throughout the day. That way, your digestion has time to adjust.

For me, the goal is not perfection. It is simply asking: What fiber-rich food can I add to this meal?

Here are some of the easy foods I keep around when I want to increase fiber without overthinking it.

1. Oats, Made Easier With an Overnight Method (and a Fermenting Trick)

Oats are one of the most reliable fiber foods out there, and one cup of cooked oats has around 4 grams of fiber on its own, which climbs fast once you start adding to it. The easiest way I use them is overnight oats, since it takes about two minutes to put together and is ready by morning.

I like to ferment mine. Fermenting oats, whether with yogurt, kefir, or a splash of lemon juice, helps break down phytic acid, which is what makes it harder for your body to absorb the minerals in oats when they’re unsoaked. A long soak with something acidic makes the oats easier to digest and the nutrients easier for your body to actually use, on top of the fiber you’re already getting.

Learn How To Make Fermented Oats 4 Ways with my step-by-step video.

2. Artichokes, the Vegetable Doing the Most Per Serving

One medium artichoke has close to 10 grams of fiber, which makes it one of the highest-fiber vegetables available, and most people never think to reach for it.

Steam it whole and pull the leaves off one at a time, dipping each one in a little olive oil, lemon, or tahini sauce. It takes longer to eat than most vegetables, which naturally slows the meal down. Canned or jarred artichoke hearts work too if you want the fiber without the extra effort, just look for ones packed in water rather than oil.

Try my Spinach Artichoke Pizza recipe for a fun way to enjoy them. OR, try my amped up high-fiber Artichoke Salad with quinoa and fresh herbs -with 12g fiber + 15g protein per serving.

3. Psyllium Husk, the Fiber Add-In With No Flavor of Its Own

Psyllium husk is a concentrated soluble fiber that dissolves into liquid and forms a gel-like texture. One tablespoon has around 4 grams of fiber, and unlike most fiber sources, it has almost no taste, so it disappears into whatever you’re mixing it with.

Some people have a glass of psyllium husk mixed with water before a meal, usually starting with 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk powder in 8 ounces of water and gradually working up to 1 tablespoon if tolerated. Because psyllium is a soluble fiber that forms a gel when mixed with liquid, it can help slow the absorption of carbohydrates, support regularity, and make meals feel more satisfying. It’s especially useful on days when you know your meals are lower in fiber and you want an easy way to close the gap without adding a whole extra food group.

You can stir it into water, blend it into a smoothie, or add a small amount to overnight oats. I especially like using psyllium husk in gluten-free baking because it helps mimic some of the structure that gluten usually provides. When mixed with liquid, it forms a gel-like texture that can add elasticity, binding, and softness, qualities that gluten-free baked goods often miss.

Try it in my Buckwheat Bread, the psyllium husk helps give it that soft, gluten-like structure while amping up the fiber, with 7 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per slice.

4. Black Beans, the Easiest Way to Add Fiber to a Meal You’re Already Making

Black beans are a staple for a reason. One cup has around 15 grams of fiber, plus a solid amount of plant-based protein, and they fit into almost any savory meal without changing the flavor profile much.

Add them to tacos, grain bowls, salads, soups, or eggs. Keeping a couple cans in the pantry means you always have a fast way to add fiber and protein to a meal that’s already on the stove.

5. Jicama, the Crunchy Root Vegetable Most People Skip Past

Jicama looks unassuming in the produce section, but one cup has around 6 grams of fiber and a satisfying crunch that holds up raw.

Slice it into sticks and eat it plain, dip it the way you would carrots or celery, or toss it into a slaw for texture. It’s mild enough to pair with almost any flavor, which makes it easy to work into meals without much thought.

They also are a great base for tacos. In Trader Joe’s You can find jicama wraps already pre-sliced. It is perfect for a fiber-rich, low carb tortilla substitute.

6. Chia Seeds, Still Worth Mentioning Because They Work

I talk about chia seeds a lot, and it’s because they earn the attention. Two tablespoons have around 10 grams of fiber, and they thicken into a pudding-like texture within minutes of hitting liquid.

Stir them into yogurt, oatmeal, or applesauce, or make a quick chia pudding the night before. If you only add one thing from this list, this is the easiest one to keep on hand and use daily.

Try my Chia Mousse 4 Ways for a creamy, dessert-like treat, or make this High Protein Chia Pudding (29 grams of protein and 23 grams of fiber per serving) for an easy, filling option with no protein powder needed.

7. White Beans, the Blank Canvas of the Bean World

White beans, whether cannellini, navy, or great northern, are one of the easiest fiber sources to work into just about anything because they don’t bring a strong flavor of their own. One cup has around 11 grams of fiber, plus a solid amount of plant-based protein, and they take on whatever they’re cooked with instead of competing with it.

I use them the obvious way first: tossed into soups, stews, and grain bowls, or simmered with garlic and olive oil as a simple side. But white beans are just as good blended, which is where they become more interesting. Blend a can with olive oil, lemon, and garlic and you have a creamy dip that works in place of hummus. Blend them into a soup base and you get a thick, velvety texture without any cream. I’ve even mashed them into baked goods, like brownies, where they disappear completely and just add moisture and fiber.

My go-to bean soup is this ultra savory Mushroom White Bean Soup.

8. Pears, Eaten With the Skin On

A medium pear with the skin on has around 6 grams of fiber, more than most other common fruits, and the skin is where a large portion of that fiber lives.

Eat it whole as a snack, slice it into a salad, or pair it with a hard cheese for something simple. Leaving the skin on is the entire trick here. No extra prep, just one less thing to peel.

9. Okra, the Vegetable People Avoid for the Wrong Reason

Okra gets a bad reputation because of the texture, but that same “slime” is actually soluble fiber doing its job. One cup of cooked okra has around 3 to 4 grams of fiber, and it works similarly to psyllium husk in the body, forming a gel that helps slow digestion.

If the texture is what’s holding you back, roast it at high heat instead of boiling or steaming it. Toss it whole or sliced with olive oil and salt, then roast until the edges char slightly. The sliminess mostly disappears and you’re left with something closer to a crispy green bean.

Try my Herb Crusted Crispy Baked Okra! It’s so good that sometimes I just make a batch and enjoy them as a snack.

10. Passion Fruit, an Underrated Fruit Source

Most people default to berries or apples when they think of high-fiber fruit, but passion fruit quietly outperforms both. One fruit has around 2 grams of fiber in just a couple tablespoons of pulp, which is a lot of fiber packed into a small amount of food.

Scoop it straight out of the shell and eat it as is, spoon it over yogurt, or blend it into a smoothie for a tart, tropical edge. It’s a small addition that adds up fast if you’re eating a few a week.

11. Buckwheat, the Grain-Like Seed That Works Many Different Ways

Buckwheat is one of the most versatile foods on this list, mostly because it’s not locked into one form. Despite the name, it’s not actually wheat and it’s naturally gluten-free. One cup of cooked buckwheat groats has around 5 grams of fiber, and you can cook it almost exactly like rice: simmer with water or broth until tender, then use it as a base for grain bowls, a side dish, or a warm breakfast porridge with fruit and cinnamon stirred in.

Where buckwheat gets more interesting is once you take it beyond the pot. Ground into flour, it becomes a nutty, earthy base for baking, and it’s the flour I reach for most when I want something heartier than a typical gluten-free blend. I use it in bread, pancakes, and muffins, and it holds moisture better than a lot of other gluten-free flours, so the texture doesn’t end up dry or crumbly. Same seed, two completely different uses, which makes it one of the easier ways to add fiber whether you’re cooking dinner or baking on a Sunday.

Try my Buckwheat Granola (14 g Protein and 11 g Fiber per serving). Instead of using rolled oats I use buckwheat groats for a grain-free breakfast option.

12. Sweet Potatoes, my all-time favorite carb

Sweet potatoes are already a staple in a lot of kitchens, but people tend to make them one way and stop there. One medium sweet potato with the skin on has around 4 grams of fiber, and the skin is where a meaningful chunk of that lives, so leaving it on is worth doing whenever you can.

Roasted is the obvious method, and it’s the one I default to most, but sweet potatoes hold up in almost every direction you take them. Mash them as a side, cube and add them to grain bowls, or blend the cooked flesh into soup for something creamy without any dairy. I’ve also used mashed sweet potato in baking, swapped in for part of the fat or sugar in muffins and quick breads, where it adds moisture, natural sweetness, and fiber all at once. It’s one of those foods that never feels repetitive, because it changes completely depending on how you treat it.

I shared my Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Bread Recipe years ago and it is still a GFB favorite. I love making it as soon as the weather starts to cool down.

13. Lentils, the One-Pot Fiber Powerhouse

Lentils are one of the most efficient fiber foods you can cook, and they don’t require any planning ahead like most dried legumes do. One cup of cooked lentils has around 15 grams of fiber, along with a solid dose of plant-based protein, and they’re ready in about 20 minutes with no soaking required.

I like to make a creamy Carrot Lentil Soup. It’s a delicious, nutrient-dense soup packed with ginger, turmeric, and carrots to help support your immune system and help your body fight off illness. Even if you are not sick, this is a perfectly filling and nourishing soup to enjoy!

14. Nuts and Seeds, the Easiest Sprinkle-On Fiber Boost

Nuts and seeds are one of the simplest ways to add fiber to a meal, because they don’t require any prep beyond opening the bag and sprinkling. A small handful on top of yogurt, oatmeal, salads, or roasted vegetables adds fiber, healthy fats, and a little crunch without changing what you’re already making.

Some of my go-tos:

• Hemp hearts

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sunflower seeds

• Almonds

• Walnuts

• Pecans

• Sesame seeds

• Chia seeds

• Flaxseed

Keeping a few of these on hand means there’s almost always a fast way to make a meal more filling. I rotate between them depending on what I’m eating, hemp hearts and sesame seeds on savory bowls, walnuts or almonds on anything with fruit, but the honest truth is any combination works. This is one of those additions where consistency matters more than which ones you pick

15. Fermented Vegetables, the Fiber and Gut Health Combo

Sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented vegetables belong on this list for a reason that’s easy to miss: the fiber was already there in the cabbage or vegetable itself, and fermentation adds live cultures on top of it without taking any of that fiber away.

A cup of fermented cabbage still carries several grams of fiber, and pairing that with the gut-supporting benefits of fermentation is about as efficient as food gets. I make my own at home because it’s cheaper than the store-bought jars and lets me control the salt and add-ins, but a quality store-bought version works too, as long as it’s raw and unpasteurized, which is what keeps the live cultures intact.

If you are new to fermenting, I have a ton of beginner friendly recipes. Start with my Traditional Sauerkraut or this walk-through of How To Ferment Any Veggie at Home.

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A Few Gentle Tips

If you are trying to eat more fiber, start slowly. Adding a lot all at once can feel uncomfortable, especially if your body is not used to it.

Try to drink enough water, spread fiber throughout the day, and pair fiber with protein so meals feel balanced and satisfying.

For me, the goal is not perfection. It is simply making meals more nourishing in a way that feels realistic.

So instead of asking, “How do I completely change my diet?” I like to ask:

That one question makes it so much easier. Next, I’ll share what 30g of fiber can actually look like in a day, because it is a lot more doable when you build it with simple foods you already enjoy.

How to Actually Use This List

You don’t need to eat everything on this page. Pick two or three that sound realistic for how you already eat, and build from there.

If you’re someone who eats a lot of soups and grain bowls, start with buckwheat or black beans. If you’re more of a snacker, jicama, pears, and passion fruit are the easier entry points. If you just want one low-effort daily habit, chia seeds or psyllium husk take the least amount of thought.

Fiber adds up faster than people expect once a few of these become routine. It’s less about a perfect diet and more about having a handful of go-to foods you reach for without having to think too hard about it.

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That’s it.

The cabbage releases its own liquid, the salt creates the right environment for fermentation, and over the next couple of weeks, everything slowly transforms into something tangy, crisp, and deeply flavorful.

You can start enjoying your sauerkraut in as little as 2 weeks, although I personally let this batch ferment for about 1 month because I wanted a deeper, more developed flavor.

The carrots, caraway seeds, and fresh dill in my recipe are completely optional, but I love what they add. The carrots bring a little sweetness and color, the caraway gives that truly classic sauerkraut flavor, and the dill makes everything taste fresh and bright.

Once you understand the basic formula, you can make sauerkraut as simple or as flavorful as you want!

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My Traditional Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cabbage, shredded (I used 1060g of shredded cabbage)

• 2-3 large carrots, shredded (I used 150g shredded carrots)

• 2 to 3% sea salt (I used 37g sea salt, which is 3% salt percentage) *Remember: Avoid using iodized table salt and any salt containing anti-caking agents or chemical additives. (sea salt is best)

• 2 to 3 teaspoons caraway seeds (gives that traditional sauerkraut flavor)

• 3 tablespoons fresh dill

Optional Add-Ins

The cabbage and salt are really the foundation and all you need to make sauerkraut. Everything else is there for flavor.

• Carrots: Add a little natural sweetness and make the finished sauerkraut more colorful.

• Caraway seeds: Give sauerkraut that classic earthy, slightly licorice-like flavor.

• Fresh dill: Adds freshness and a subtle herbal flavor that balances the tanginess beautifully.

You can absolutely leave these out and make a traditional cabbage-only sauerkraut, or use this recipe as a base and experiment.

Other add-ins I love or would recommend trying:

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Beets

• Jalapeño or chili flakes

• Juniper berries

• Mustard seeds

• Fennel seeds

• Turmeric

• Black peppercorns

• Apple

• Radish

The biggest thing is to keep the cabbage-to-salt ratio consistent, then have fun with the flavor. You truly can’t go wrong with the flavor. I’ve made this Antioxidant-Rich Sauerkraut with Turmeric Ginger and Cumin. It tastes almost like curried sauerkraut, which was absolutely delish for breakfast with my homemade patties.

And of course my favorite sauerkraut to make is Beet Ginger Sauerkraut. I love the subtle sweetness and earthiness the beets add to the sauerkraut and the zestiness from the ginger is just chef’s kiss.

How to Make Sauerkraut

1. Prep and weigh the vegetables

Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage, then thinly slice the cabbage and carrots.

Place a large mixing bowl on a kitchen scale and zero out the scale. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots to the bowl and note the total weight.

For my batch, I used:

• 1060g cabbage

• 150g carrots

• 1210g vegetables total

2. Calculate and add the salt

Multiply the total weight of your vegetables by your desired salt percentage.

I used a 3% salt ratio, so for 1210g of vegetables, I added about 37g sea salt.

Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and carrots, then massage everything together thoroughly with clean hands until the salt is evenly distributed.

At this point, you can either let the mixture sit for about 1 hour to help draw out more moisture, or do what I prefer and cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit overnight.

3. Add the flavorings and massage again

When you are ready to jar the sauerkraut, add the optional caraway seeds, fresh dill, or any other spices and flavorings you are using.

Massage the mixture again for a good 3 to 5 minutes. You should notice the cabbage becoming softer and releasing even more liquid. That liquid is what will become your natural brine.

4. Pack the jar

Transfer the cabbage mixture into a clean fermentation jar a little at a time.

After adding each handful, use a fermentation tamper to press the mixture down firmly. This helps remove trapped air, compacts the vegetables, and encourages even more liquid to rise out of the cabbage.

Continue adding and tamping until all of the mixture is packed into the jar. Pour any remaining liquid from the bowl into the jar.

By the time you are finished, you want enough natural brine to eventually cover the cabbage.

5. Keep everything submerged

Place a fermentation weight on top of the cabbage and press down firmly so the vegetables sit beneath the brine.

If you saved a clean outer cabbage leaf, you can place it over the shredded vegetables before adding the weight to help keep smaller pieces from floating to the surface.

Keeping the cabbage submerged in the brine is one of the most important parts of successful fermentation.

6. Add the airlock and ferment

Secure the jar with an airlock lid and place it somewhere out of direct sunlight.

A room temperature around 65°F to 75°F works well. Warmer temperatures will speed up fermentation, while cooler temperatures will slow it down.

If you are not using an airlock, you will need to burp the jar regularly during week one, which is the most active stage of fermentation.

7. Let it ferment, then refrigerate

Let the sauerkraut ferment at room temperature until it reaches the flavor you like. You can begin tasting it around 2 weeks, but I let mine ferment for about 1 month for a deeper, tangier flavor.

Once you are happy with the taste, transfer the sauerkraut to the refrigerator. The colder temperature dramatically slows the fermentation process and helps preserve the flavor and texture you have developed.

I like to transfer my finished sauerkraut into smaller jars so it is easier to store in my refrigerator. As you repack it, press the sauerkraut firmly into each jar and make sure it remains submerged beneath the brine. Pour any remaining brine from the fermentation jar over the top before sealing.

Then keep it refrigerated and enjoy it straight from the jar whenever you want a little fermented goodness with your meals. 🩷

How Long Should Sauerkraut Ferment?

You can start tasting your sauerkraut at around 2 weeks. At that point, it should already taste tangy and noticeably fermented.

If you prefer a milder flavor, you may love it there. If you want something deeper, more sour, and more developed, let it continue fermenting. I left mine for about 1 month, and I loved the result.

There is no single perfect day. The best fermentation time really depends on your taste and the temperature of your home.

Once it tastes how you like it, remove the airlock, replace it with a regular lid, and transfer the jar to the refrigerator.

What Should You Expect During Fermentation?

Fermentation is active, so your jar may look different from day to day.

You may notice:

• Tiny bubbles

• Brine rising and falling

• A lightly sour smell

• The cabbage becoming softer

• The color changing slightly

• A little pressure building inside the jar

All of these can be completely normal. The smell should be pleasantly sour, tangy, and fermented, not rotten or putrid.

The Most Important Thing: Keep It Under the Brine

If you remember only one thing, let it be this: Keep the cabbage submerged.

The salt brine creates the environment that allows fermentation to happen properly. If the vegetables rise above the liquid, gently press them back down. This is another reason I love using a fermentation weight. It does the work for you.

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Tools You’ll Need

You do not need a complicated fermentation setup, but a few tools make the process much easier.

• Large mixing bowl

• Kitchen scale

• Sharp knife or mandoline

• Clean fermentation jar

• Fermentation weight

• Airlock lid

• Wooden spoon or clean hands for mixing

Why I Highly Recommend an Airlock

You can ferment sauerkraut without an airlock, but I find the process so much easier with one.

An airlock allows the carbon dioxide created during fermentation to escape while limiting outside air from getting into the jar. That means less opening, less worrying about pressure, and less interference with the ferment.

It also makes longer ferments feel much more hands-off. I left this batch for a full month, and using an airlock made that incredibly easy. I could simply let it sit and do its thing without constantly opening the jar. All I had to do was check every once in a while to make sure there was always water in the airlock system.

If you plan on making fermented foods regularly, an airlock is one of the few tools I genuinely think is worth having, especially because it makes fermentation SO much easier. You really can set it any forget it.

Why Homemade Sauerkraut Is Worth It

Homemade sauerkraut is one of the easiest ways to get comfortable with fermentation because the ingredient list is so simple and the process requires very little active work.

You also get to control the flavor. You can make it more garlicky, more herby, more spicy, or keep it completely traditional.

And once you get the hang of it, you realize how easy it is to turn one head of cabbage into several jars of fermented vegetables. That’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to fermentation.

It takes simple ingredients and transforms them into something completely different with nothing more than salt, time, and a little patience.

If you have never fermented anything before, sauerkraut is a great place to start. 🩷

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It is deeply cherry-forward, lightly sweet, full of vanilla, and naturally fizzy enough to rival anything I could buy at the store. The best part is that I made it with fresh cherries, coconut sugar, and a ginger bug I have kept alive since April.

This Cherry Vanilla Cola is the first drink in a new fermented soda series I am starting. I have been experimenting with different fruits, sugars, flavor combinations, and fermentation times, and I am excited to bring you along.

It is no surprise that I love making homemade soda with a ginger bug, but lately I have become even more curious about what is possible. How close can I get to familiar soda flavors using real ingredients? Which sugars create the best carbonation? How much does summer heat change the fermentation time? And how many bottles can I open without spraying the ceiling?

For this recipe, I wanted to make my own version of cherry vanilla cola without refined sugar, artificial flavors, synthetic dyes, or a long list of additives. I used fresh cherries from the farmers market, removed every pit by hand, and simmered them into a rich cherry syrup. Coconut sugar gave the soda its darker color and deeper caramel-like flavor, while vanilla brought everything together.

I was initially worried that coconut sugar would not be effective enough to feed the ginger bug and create strong carbonation.

I could not have been more wrong.

Because it is summer and my kitchen can reach close to 80°F, the soda fermented incredibly fast. Within a day, it was bubbly, pressurized, and ready for the refrigerator.

This is exactly why fermented soda is so exciting. A few simple ingredients can turn into something completely alive, fizzy, and full of flavor, but the process changes with the temperature, the sugar, and the strength of your ginger bug.

Even after several days in the refrigerator, the bottle still opened with that satisfying pop. When I poured it into a glass, the soda foamed and fizzed just like canned cola, with tiny bubbles rising through every sip.

The final drink is richly cherry, slightly caramel-like, softly spiced from the ginger bug, and full of natural carbonation. It tastes like cherry vanilla cola, but fresher, brighter, and more alive.

Now let’s talk a bit of science. I’ll share a few first ferment and second ferment tips!

✨ Ready to make your own naturally fizzy probiotic sodas at home? My complete Ginger Bug Guide is now available as a digital download (with a special discount for paid subscribers), and the printed handheld version is officially on Amazon too. It walks you through how to create, feed, troubleshoot, and use a ginger bug so you can make recipes like this Cherry Vanilla Cola with confidence. Now, back to the recipe ;)

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The problem was that I would eat what felt like full, balanced meals all day, check in after dinner, and realize I was still 30 to 50 grams short…

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The flavor reminds me of rye bread. It is earthy, slightly nutty, and hearty without tasting overly dense. The texture is surprisingly close to traditional bread, with a crisp golden crust, a soft interior, and the kind of satisfying chew that can be difficult to achieve with gluten-free baking.

It also s…

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Why am I spending $10 on one small jar of sauerkraut when I can turn one inexpensive head of cabbage into several jars?

Why am I buying four ounces of sprouts in a plastic container when I can grow an entire 32-ounce j…

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It’s systems.

I’ve found that the easiest way to eat well isn’t to cook elaborate meals every day. It’s to spend a little time each week making a few staples that quietly improve almost everything I eat. That’s exactly what this week’s meal prep is.

There aren’t any complete meals here. Instead, these are the building blocks I keep in my refrigerator and pantry that make breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks more nourishing without adding extra work during the week.

Fresh buckwheat bread for toast and sandwiches. Homemade fermented fruit and vegetables for an easy daily serving of probiotics. Crunchy puffed quinoa cereal for breakfast or those moments when I’m craving something sweet. Energy balls for an afternoon pick-me-up. And fresh mung bean sprouts to add crunch, freshness, and nutrients to just about anything.

None of these recipes are difficult. They’re simply little habits that make eating well feel much more automatic. I hope they inspire you to find a few staples of your own.

And just in case you’re wondering how much protein and fiber each provide:

• Buckwheat Bread: 7g protein, 8g fiber per slice

• Lacto-Fermented Pears: 0g protein, 2g fiber per pear

• Lacto-Fermented Garden Vegetables: 1g protein, 2g fiber per ½-cup serving

• Puffed Quinoa Cereal: 12g protein, 8g fiber per serving

• Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Balls: 2g protein, 3g fiber per ball

• Fresh Mung Bean Sprouts: 3g protein, 2g fiber per cup

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Buckwheat Bread

I love bread. I’m never giving it up. But most gluten-free breads from the grocery store are essentially refined starches held together with gums. They fill the role of bread, but nutritionally they don’t offer much.

Making my own means I can use whole buckwheat groats, psyllium husk, seeds, and olive oil to create something that’s actually nourishing. And I loe the way it taste. It reminds me of rye bread but a bit milder.

Each slice provides roughly 7g protein and 8g fiber, making it a much better foundation for breakfast or lunch.

My favorite ways to enjoy it

• Toasted with almond butter and jam

• With eggs and fermented vegetables

• Avocado toast

• Sandwiches

• Alongside soup

Here’s What You Need To Make It

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Growing up, coleslaw was almost always the same thing: shredded cabbage swimming in a thick, creamy mayonnaise dressing. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t something I ever found myself craving.

Then I started making it differently. And everything changed. Now, I think of coleslaw less as a side dish and mo…

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Not the overly sweet kind filled with artificial flavors and mystery ingredients, but something fizzy, refreshing, and made with real ingredients you actually recognize. That’s the beauty of a ginger bug.

With just fresh ginger, sugar, water, and a little time, you can create a natural starter that transforms fruit juices, herbal teas, and other naturally sweet liquids into homemade probiotic soda.

Think pineapple ginger soda, hibiscus berry soda, apple cinnamon soda, lemon ginger soda, or your own seasonal fruit blends.

It’s simple, customizable, and honestly such a fun kitchen skill to learn.

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My full ginger bug walkthrough is live on YouTube

I recently shared a full visual walkthrough on YouTube showing exactly how to make a ginger bug and turn it into naturally carbonated probiotic soda.

In the video, you can see the whole process from start to finish: how the ginger bug looks, how it changes, how to feed it, and how to use it to create a fizzy homemade drink.

It is the perfect place to start if you are a visual learner and want to see the process in action. But I also wanted to create something you could keep close while you make your own.

Something more detailed.
Something you can reference again and again.
Something that goes beyond the visual walkthrough and helps you really understand the process.

So I created my Ginger Bug Guide. (GET THE GUIDE: ALL ABOUT THE GINGER BUG BY CAPRI LILLY)

The video shows you the process. The guide helps you master it.

The guide helps you understand why you are doing it, what to look for, and how to get better results.

That is important because fermentation is alive. It is not always exactly the same every day, and that is part of what makes it so beautiful.

Your kitchen temperature, the freshness of your ginger, the type of sugar you use, the water, the season, and the fermentation time can all affect how quickly your ginger bug becomes active.

Once you understand those little details, the process becomes so much easier.

You learn how to read the signs.
You learn what healthy activity looks like.
You learn how to build better carbonation.
You learn how to adjust flavor.
You learn how to keep your ginger bug going.

That is when it stops feeling like a one-time recipe and starts feeling like a skill.

Inside the Ginger Bug Guide

My Ginger Bug Guide walks you through everything you need to confidently make, use, maintain, and troubleshoot your ginger bug.

Inside, I cover:

How to make a ginger bug from scratch
How to feed it properly
How to maintain it over time
How to know when it is active and ready to use
How to use it to make homemade probiotic soda
How to build better carbonation
How to create different flavor combinations
How to troubleshoot common issues
How to avoid common mistakes
How to store and care for your ginger bug long-term

I wanted this guide to feel beginner-friendly, but still detailed enough to help you truly master the process.

Because once you understand the foundation, you can create so many different drinks at home with confidence.

This is the kind of kitchen ritual I love

I love recipes that feel simple, useful, and a little bit special. Making a ginger bug is all of those things.

It only takes a few minutes a day to feed it, but watching it come alive is so satisfying. Then, when you finally use it to make your first bottle of homemade soda, it feels like such a reward.

A launch gift for this community

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Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, they all have this natural sweetness that feels almost effortless. You barely have to do anything to them. Slice them over yogurt. Toss them into salads. Roast them until jammy. Layer them into cake. They bring so much flavor on their own, which is e…

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Not because I think every meal needs to become a math problem, but because most of us genuinely aren’t eating enough of either. Protein keeps us full, supports muscle, and helps stabilize blood sugar. Fiber feeds our gut microbiome, supports digest…

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For a long time, protein got all the attention, and I love protein. You already know this. But fiber is just as important, especially when we’re talking about digestion, gut health, blood sugar balance, fullness, cholesterol, and feeding the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

And now, fiber i…

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Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, but it is also a moment of remembrance. A day to honor the resilience, history, joy, and culture of Black Americans. And for so many of us, food has always been part of that honoring. The…

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I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want this space to become. I love creating. I love sharing recipes, ideas, wellness practices, fermentation projects, high-protein meals, high-fiber meals, and all the little things that help us feel better in our …

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I was eating clean. I was reading research. I was spending money on supplements and testing and elimination protocols. And I still felt tired, inflamed, foggy, and like my body was working against me instead of with me.

What I did not understand then, that I understand clearly now, is that gut health is not a destination you reach by adding the right things. It is a foundation you build by consistently doing a small number of things that actually matter, and removing the habits that quietly undermine everything else.

If I had to go back to the beginning, this is exactly where I would start.

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1. Fermentation Before Everything Else

If there is one thing I would tell myself on day one, it is this: start fermenting before you spend a single dollar on a probiotic supplement.

Not because supplements are never useful. But because no capsule on the market can replicate the diversity of live bacteria, organic acids, enzymes, and bioactive compounds that come from a jar of real fermented food. Sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, ginger bug soda. Each one introduces different bacterial strains through a completely different mechanism than a pill, and the research on variety is clear. A 2021 study in Cell found that a high-variety fermented food diet significantly increased microbiome diversity and reduced 19 inflammatory proteins, outperforming a high-fiber diet alone in improving immune markers.¹

I would start with one thing. One tablespoon of sauerkraut on eggs in the morning. Just that, every day, for two weeks. Then add something else. Then another.

The consistency is the strategy. Not the quantity.

I would not buy 10 different fermented foods at once and overwhelm my system. I would start with one, build the habit, and expand from there. The microbiome responds to consistency over time. It does not respond to a one-week experiment.

2. Walking After Meals, Not Just More Steps

This one changed something I could actually feel within days. And it is probably the most misunderstood movement habit in the wellness space.

We have been sold the idea that walking means 10,000 steps. A step counter, a daily goal, a number to hit. And while total movement matters, the research now points to something much more specific and much more powerful: when you walk matters as much as how much you walk.

A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports found that just 10 minutes of walking immediately after eating reduced peak blood sugar levels by 9.6%, from 181.9 mg/dL down to 164.3 mg/dL. A 2023 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine examining multiple trials found an average reduction of 19 to 25 mg/dL in peak glucose compared to sitting after a meal, describing this as a large effect size that has been replicated consistently across independent studies.² ³

What is happening physiologically is simple. When you walk after eating, your leg muscles begin using the glucose circulating in your blood from that meal. Your body has somewhere to put it. Instead of a spike that stresses your pancreas, triggers insulin, and eventually crashes your energy, the glucose gets absorbed steadily and efficiently.

A 10-minute walk after lunch. A 10-minute walk after dinner. Even 5 minutes. Even a few thousand steps that you might not count toward any daily goal. That is the version of walking that moves the needle.

I am not trying to hit a number. I am trying to eat and then move, every time I can.

3. Managing Cortisol Like It Is a Gut Health Strategy, Because It Is

This is the piece I wish someone had told me earlier.

Cortisol is not just a stress hormone. It is one of the most powerful disruptors of gut health that most people completely ignore when they are focused on food and supplements.

Research shows that psychological stress can raise cortisol, and elevated cortisol may weaken the gut lining by disrupting the tight junctions that help keep that barrier strong. When that barrier becomes more permeable, unwanted compounds can pass through more easily, which can trigger inflammation throughout the body.⁴

And the relationship goes both ways. A 2024 Cell Metabolism study found that gut microbes help regulate the body’s stress-response system, also known as the HPA axis. When the microbiome is disrupted, cortisol rhythms can become disrupted too.⁵ So stress can affect the gut, and the gut can affect how your body responds to stress.

Managing cortisol is not about eliminating stress. It is about not unnecessarily triggering it when you can help it.

A few things I do that have made a real difference:

I do not have coffee on an empty stomach. Cortisol levels naturally peak in the morning between 7 and 8am and continue rising for 30 to 45 minutes after waking.⁶ Adding caffeine on top of that cortisol spike amplifies it. Over time, chronically elevated cortisol suppresses beneficial bacteria, increases intestinal permeability, and creates the exact gut environment you are trying to heal. I eat something small first. Even just a handful of nuts, a few bites of banana, a spoonful of nut butter. Then coffee.

I try to eat something small before morning workouts too. Training fasted spikes cortisol because your body reads exercise on an empty stomach as a stress event. It is not always possible and I do not stress about it when it is not, but when I can, I have something light beforehand.

4. Light Pre-Workout Snacks That Actually Work

These are the things I grab when I am training in the morning and do not want a full meal but need something in my system.

A small banana with a tablespoon of almond butter. Fast carbs from the banana for immediate energy, fat and protein from the almond butter to slow the release and buffer the cortisol response.

A handful of raw nuts (almonds, cashews, or walnuts). Takes 10 seconds. Enough fat and protein to buffer cortisol without sitting heavy in your stomach.

Two to three Medjool dates. Quick natural sugar, easy to digest, no prep involved.

A few rice crackers with hummus. Carbs plus protein plus a little fat. Functional and fast.

Half an avocado with a pinch of sea salt. Healthy fat, potassium, zero prep.

A small bowl of overnight fermented oats with a drizzle of honey. If you have them prepped, this is one of the most gut-supportive pre-workout options. The fermentation makes the oats easier to digest, the honey gives you fast energy, and the resistant starch feeds gut bacteria even as you train.

None of these are complicated. That is the point.

5. Fiber Before Probiotics

If I had to start over, I would not spend the first six months focused on which probiotics to take. I would focus on whether I was feeding the bacteria I already had.

Probiotics introduce new bacteria. Prebiotics feed the ones that already live in your gut. And what most people do not realize is that a gut depleted of diverse beneficial bacteria does not need more new residents. It needs food for the ones already there to multiply.

I would aim for 30 grams of fiber every day, from diverse sources. Not just one type of fiber from the same foods every day, but variety. Chia seeds one morning, lentils at lunch, artichoke hearts at dinner, an apple as a snack. Different plants feed different bacterial species. The more diverse your plant intake, the more diverse your microbiome becomes.

The research on this is now consistent enough to be treated as a rule rather than a suggestion. Diverse plant fiber is the foundation. Everything else builds on top of it.

6. Stopping the Fight Against My Hunger in the Morning

I spent years being proud of not being hungry in the morning. Skipping breakfast felt like discipline.

What I know now is that it was contributing to the very thing I was trying to fix.

When you skip breakfast, cortisol stays elevated longer into the morning because your body is still in a stress state from the overnight fast. Blood sugar stays unstable. Your gut microbiome misses its first feeding window of the day. And your circadian gut clock, which is cued by the timing of your first meal, does not get the signal it needs to synchronize with your central circadian clock.

Research shows that the timing of your first meal functions as a circadian cue for your gut.⁷ Eating within a reasonable window of waking helps synchronize your gut’s peripheral clock with your brain’s central clock, which supports better digestion, more consistent energy, and more stable hunger hormones across the whole day.

I eat within an hour of waking now. Not a huge meal. Not a complicated one. Something with protein and fiber that breaks the overnight fast and gives my gut the signal it is waiting for.

7. Treating Sleep as a Non-Negotiable Gut Health Input

This is the one most people intellectually agree with and practically ignore.

Sleep is when your gut repairs. It is when your microbiome undergoes what researchers call rest-phase activity, where beneficial bacteria regulate inflammation, repair the gut lining, and adjust microbial composition in ways that only happen in the absence of food and in conditions of low cortisol.

Research shows that even two consecutive nights of poor sleep measurably shifts microbial diversity and reduces populations of beneficial bacterial strains.⁸ And the relationship runs both directions. A disrupted gut disrupts melatonin production, which degrades sleep quality, which further disrupts the gut. You have to address both sides to break the cycle.

What this looked like in practice for me: a consistent sleep and wake time, no food within two hours of bed, magnesium glycinate before sleep, and genuinely treating the overnight window as part of my gut health protocol rather than just rest time.

The overnight fast is doing something. The quality of your sleep shapes how well it does it.

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8. Letting Fermentation Friday Be a Real Ritual

I want to say this one plainly because it sounds small and it is not.

Making fermentation a weekly practice changed my relationship with my gut health from something I was managing to something I was building. When you make your own sauerkraut, your own fire cider, your own ginger bug soda, you are not just adding probiotics to your diet. You are developing an understanding of what is in your food and how it was made that no supplement routine can replicate.

It also means you always have something fermented in your home. Which means the daily tablespoon habit I mentioned in point one has no friction. The jar is always there. The habit sustains itself.

If I had to start over, I would start one ferment in week one. Just one. A simple jar of sauerkraut. 15 minutes, three ingredients, and a week of waiting. Then I would watch what happens to how I feel and let that be the motivation for everything that comes after.

9. Stopping Trying to Be Perfect and Starting Trying to Be Consistent

This is the one I needed to hear the most.

For years, I thought healing meant doing everything perfectly. The perfect elimination protocol. The perfect supplement stack. The perfectly clean diet with no exceptions. And every time I slipped, which of course I did because I’m human, I felt like I had failed and needed to start all over again.

But what actually changed how I felt was not finding the perfect protocol. It was becoming consistent enough that my gut stopped being so reactive to imperfection.

Because that’s the real goal. Not a body that only feels good when everything is controlled.

A body that can handle life.

A diverse, resilient microbiome responds differently to stress, travel, a night of poor sleep, or a meal that is not perfectly “gut-friendly.” It has more flexibility. More stability. More capacity to recover.

And that reframe changed everything for me.

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The Short Version

Start fermenting. Walk after meals instead of just counting steps. Stop having coffee on an empty stomach. Eat something small before early morning workouts. Feed your existing bacteria with diverse fiber before you spend money on probiotics. Eat breakfast. Protect your sleep. Make fermentation a practice, not just a habit. And give yourself enough time to build something real.

None of this requires a supplement protocol or a complete overhaul of your life. It requires showing up to a small set of things consistently and trusting that consistency compounds.

That is the version of gut health I wish I had started with.

And if you’re reading this thinking, “Okay, but where do I actually start?” start small.

If you want to learn fermentation, I have a ton of beginner-friendly tutorials on my YouTube where I walk you through the process step by step, from sauerkraut to ginger bugs to homemade probiotic sodas.

And if you’re not sure how to build high-fiber, gut-supportive meals in a way that feels realistic, check out my meal prep recipes here on Substack. I share the exact meals I’m making, how I prep them, and how I use simple ingredients to make eating this way feel easy and doable.

You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Just pick one thing to practice, one ferment, one high-fiber meal, one small habit, and build from there.

References

¹ Wastyk HC, et al. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021;184(16):4137-4153.

² Hashimoto K, et al. Positive impact of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose intake on postprandial glucose levels. Scientific Reports. 2025;15(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-07312-y.

³ Engeroff T, Groneberg DA, Wilke J. After Dinner Rest a While, After Supper Walk a Mile? A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis on the Acute Postprandial Glycemic Response to Exercise Before and After Meal Ingestion. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(4):849-869.

⁴ Exploring the complex relationship between psychosocial stress and the gut microbiome. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2024. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00652.2024.

⁵ Gut microbiota regulates stress responsivity via the circadian system. Cell Metabolism. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2024.10.003.

⁶ Bswhealth.com. Why you should never drink coffee on an empty stomach. 2024.

⁷ Jakubowicz D, et al. Interaction between early meals, clock gene mRNA expression, and gut microbiome. PMC. 2024. PMCID: PMC11594859.

⁸ Smith RP, et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(10):e0222394.

And I get it.

Nutritionally, chia seeds are incredible. They are rich in fiber, omega-3 fats, minerals, and they help create that thick, satisfying texture that makes chia pudding so filling.

But the texture?

That gel-like texture is not for everyone.

That’s where chia mousse comes in.

Chia mousse is basically chia pudding blended until smooth and creamy. You still get all the benefits of chia seeds, but without the seed-heavy texture. It feels more like a creamy snack or light dessert, especially when you add fruit, cacao, pumpkin, coconut, or warming spices.

This is one of my favorite ways to make chia feel a little more fun.

Each version starts with the same simple base of chia seeds, hemp seeds, and non-dairy milk. From there, you can blend in different flavors depending on what you’re in the mood for.

The base alone gives you roughly 10 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, depending on the milk you use. So this works beautifully as a snack, or you can add toppings like Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, or extra hemp to turn it into a more filling breakfast.

The Base Formula

This is the base for all four flavors.

Base Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
• 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice

I usually use almond milk, but you can use whatever milk you like. Soy milk will increase the protein. Coconut milk will make it richer. Cashew or oat milk will make it creamier.

The chia seeds bring the fiber and thick texture.
The hemp seeds add protein, minerals, and healthy fats.
The milk helps everything blend into that smooth mousse consistency.

You can let the chia seeds soak first and then blend, but I prefer blending everything from the start because it gives the smoothest texture.

1. Mango Coconut Chia Mousse

This one tastes tropical, creamy, and bright. The mango adds natural sweetness and vitamin C, while the full-fat coconut milk makes the mousse rich and silky. It almost feels like a mango pudding, but with a fiber-rich base.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe mango, about ½ cup packed
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk from the can
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste

Instructions

1. Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds, non-dairy milk, mango, coconut milk, vanilla, and maple syrup to a blender.

2. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.

3. Pour into jars or bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until thickened.

4. Add toppings if desired and enjoy chilled.

2. Banana Nut Chia Mousse

This one is cozy, creamy, and naturally sweet. The banana gives it a soft sweetness, while walnuts and hazelnuts add richness, minerals, and healthy fats. It tastes a little like banana bread in mousse form, especially with cinnamon and vanilla.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons raw walnuts
• 2 tablespoons raw hazelnuts
• 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds, non-dairy milk, banana, walnuts, hazelnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla to a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour into jars or bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until thickened.

4. Top with extra banana slices, nuts, or cinnamon if desired.

3. Chocolate Chia Mousse

This is the dessert one. The cacao gives it that rich chocolate flavor, while the chia and hemp base keeps it balanced. It’s smooth, creamy, lightly sweet, and perfect when you want something chocolatey that still gives you fiber and healthy fats.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
• 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds, non-dairy milk, cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla to a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour into jars or bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Top with berries, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, or a little melted dark chocolate if desired.

4. Pumpkin Pie Chia Mousse

This one tastes like fall in a jar. Pumpkin adds creaminess, fiber, and beta-carotene, while cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice make it feel warm and comforting. It’s great as a snack, dessert, or quick breakfast when you want something lightly sweet but still nourishing. (Pro tip: You can sub wih sweet potato and enjoy this flavor all year round)

Ingredients

• ½ cup pumpkin puree (or sweet potato puree)
• 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds, non-dairy milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla to a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour into jars or bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until thickened.

4. Top with pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, coconut whipped cream, or chopped nuts if desired.

Tips for the Best Texture

• For the smoothest mousse, blend everything right away instead of waiting for the chia seeds to gel first.

• For a thicker, dessert-style mousse, use less milk or add a little more chia.

• For a lighter mousse, add a splash more milk after blending.

• For a sweeter mousse, add more maple syrup to taste.

• And always let it chill for at least 1 hour so the chia has time to thicken and set.

Storage

Store the chia mousse in airtight jars or containers in the refrigerator.

It keeps well for about 5 days, which makes it perfect for meal prep, grab-and-go snacks, or quick breakfasts throughout the week.

I like making a few flavors at once so I have options. That way it doesn’t feel like I’m eating the same thing every day, even though the base is simple.

Here’s the Bigger Picture

Chia mousse is one of those recipes that makes healthy eating feel easy.

It’s high in fiber.
It has a little protein.
It supports digestion.
And it feels like dessert.

That’s the kind of recipe I love most. Simple ingredients, blended into something that feels good to eat and actually supports you.